Being Better Stewards

We have a big family by current standards and in the consumerist world we live in we contribute to pollution, land fills, and some of the very negative aspects of our culture of disposable consumption. With that knowledge we have also tried to reduce our negative impact and contribute to a positive one.  We have always marveled in God's creation with our kids, finding joy and awe and curiosity in weather, landscapes, plants, animals, and science. From the beginning I tried to get our kids outside, go on hikes, and pick up litter as we go. Scouts offered us regular opportunities to clean streams and care for God's world. We are called to be good stewards.

Some things we have done:
Compost bin
Rain barrel
Wool dryer balls instead of laundry dryer sheets
Dishrags instead of sponges
reusable sandwich and snack containers instead of bags
Cloth napkins instead of paper napkins and paper towels
Real flatware instead of plastic silverware at parties

And then this fall we got solar panels installed on our roof. We only added 12 panels because of big trees and our complicated roof sections but I feel good about generating at least some of our own electricity. The finances wind up pretty neutral between our solar panel payment and the tax credits plus our savings on our electricity bill, but if the panels keep generating past our payments as they should we will be saving money. But most importantly we will be generating at least some of what we consume.

You can't see the panels from the front of our house, but you can get a peak through the houses on the street behind us.